Chapter 33

"Brother Bai, you're back. It looks like your harvest is quite good!"

"Big Brother Bai..."

"Brother Bai..."

Outside the valley, Bai Xiaosheng led eight flower children step by step into the area. Each of them held a fine warhorse, and the horses carried armor and weapons, their spoils of war.

When the disciples of the Beggar Sect go out on missions, apart from the proof of their tasks, most of their gains belong to themselves. Of course, if you contribute your share, the sect will record your merit.

Look at Bai Xiaosheng; he led his eight flower children to the logistics department and contributed these useless things to the entire branch and the entire Beggar Sect. The merit book also recorded a mark for him and the eight others.

"Alright, go back and summarize your gains from this time. We'll have a meeting tonight to sort them out." Bai Xiaosheng instructed the eight, who all respectfully acknowledged him and left happily. Bai Xiaosheng then returned to his room alone.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed since Bai Xiaosheng joined the Beggar Sect. For three years, he had been active on the border between Song and Liao, and the daily battles had made him grow quickly. Without mentioning his internal skills, his swordsmanship had advanced to a higher level, reaching the realm of simplifying complexity as taught by Feng Qingyang. His Hengshan Sword Technique was incredibly fast, and he had eliminated unnecessary flourishes, making each strike lethal.

However, he had not yet reached a higher realm, which made him feel disheartened. Linghu Chong had almost crossed several realms in a short time, while it had taken him more than three years to reach this level, which was indeed a hindrance to his identity as a穿越客 (穿越客 can be translated as '穿越者' which means '穿越者' or 'time traveler').

In three years, much had changed. The subordinates of Quan Guanqing, with whom Bai Xiaosheng had once been close, had either died in battle or been transferred, like Wang Gouzi. This guy, after being warned by Bai Xiaosheng, had gathered the people around Quan Guanqing, forming another major force under Jiang Yi, who was openly defiant and secretly rebellious, making Jiang Yi very angry and helpless.

Later, Jiang Yi took the opportunity to transfer him away, and the remaining people were naturally divided and co-opted by Jiang Yi. Those who were disobedient were transferred, and those who were obedient became Jiang Yi's subordinates.

Bai Xiaosheng was not prominent among these people because he had only recently joined the Beggar Sect. When the power struggle erupted, he was just a lowly three-bag disciple, so few people paid attention to him, and Jiang Yi did not take him seriously.

Because of this, he took the opportunity to gather and co-opt small beggars of similar status, forming a group for mutual support.

Later, under Bai Xiaosheng's leadership, the group used Quan Guanqing's old strategies to achieve many accomplishments. They donated most of their gains, which quickly raised Bai Xiaosheng's reputation in the branch. A year later, he was promoted to a four-bag disciple due to his merits, overcoming the barrier from low to high rank. At that time, Jiang Yi also began to co-opt Bai Xiaosheng.

Bai Xiaosheng was not foolish; he knew he could not cling to Quan Guanqing's support, as it would make it impossible for him to survive. So he naturally joined Jiang Yi's faction and became one of his major generals.

With Jiang Yi's support, Bai Xiaosheng not only demonstrated his combat prowess but also his intelligence. While achieving military success, he also helped Jiang Yi manage the branch efficiently, earning one merit after another and becoming the most prominent figure in the branch.

He had already received the news that he would be promoted to a five-bag disciple, reaching the same level as Wang Gouzi. Although Wang Gouzi had been transferred, he was still only a five-bag disciple.

Bai Xiaosheng's rapid rise would surely shock many in the Beggar Sect!

Smiling slightly, Bai Xiaosheng thought of Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi's tactics were clearly not as sophisticated as Quan Guanqing's. He would forgive anyone who pledged allegiance to him, including Quan Guanqing's old subordinates. This not only blocked the promotion of his own people but also allowed these people to retain significant power. If Quan Guanqing returned, these people would definitely defect.

In the original story, Quan Guanqing's coup involved a large number of Beggar Sect disciples. Apart from a few, almost everyone followed Quan Guanqing. This demonstrated Quan Guanqing's influence. If it weren't for Qiao Feng's unparalleled martial arts, the outcome would have been uncertain.

The current branch was similar. Although Jiang Yi appeared to be in charge, the people below were mostly Quan Guanqing's old subordinates, followed by Bai Xiaosheng.

Bai Xiaosheng's purpose in joining the Beggar Sect was not pure. To become the leader of the Beggar Sect, he needed the support of the flower children. Therefore, over the past three years, he had not only achieved merits and honed his martial arts but also co-opted the small flower children, taking care of them and teaching them martial arts and strategies. His big brother-like care had definitely won the hearts of the flower children.

In three years, Bai Xiaosheng had led seven teams, totaling fifty-six people. After accounting for those who died or left, twenty-three people in the branch would listen to him. Adding those he had befriended and taken care of, he had about fifty supporters in the branch. Although it seemed small, it accounted for about one-sixth of the lower-ranking disciples. Among these people, there were those who could stand on their own, and their subordinates would also be influenced, becoming Bai Xiaosheng's supporters. Thus, the number of people who supported him was not small.

If he continued to develop for another three years, he would definitely become the actual leader of the area.

"Brother Bai, Chief Jiang is asking for you!" Outside, a flower child shouted. Bai Xiaosheng immediately got up and walked out of the room, saying, "Brother Hong, what does the chief want?"

Jiang Yi had been the deputy chief for three years but was still called chief by everyone. After all, everyone knew he would eventually become the chief, so they naturally tried to curry favor with him.

"It's good news!" Hong Wu grinned and explained, "The higher-ups have sent a message. Chief Jiang has been officially appointed, and you, brother, are also getting good news. Your promotion order has come down. From now on, you will be a five-bag disciple."

"Brother, you're really something. You've only been in the Beggar Sect for three years, and you've already reached the level of a five-bag disciple, which many can't achieve in a lifetime. Look at me; I've been in the Beggar Sect for thirteen years and only became a five-bag disciple last year. It's really frustrating to compare."

Hong Wu was very talkative, chatting non-stop with Bai Xiaosheng on the way. Fortunately, the journey was not long, or Bai Xiaosheng would have been annoyed to death. The two entered Jiang Yi's residence and greeted him, "We see the chief!"

"Brothers Hong and Bai have arrived. No need to be formal, come over quickly!" Jiang Yi was pleased and treated them kindly, pulling them close and showing them the promotion orders from the higher-ups. "Brother Bai, from now on, you will be a five-bag disciple in our branch."

"Thank you, Chief, for your support!" Bai Xiaosheng immediately replied. Over the past three years, he had become very skilled at flattery.

"Ah, what support? If you, Bai Xiaosheng, didn't have the ability, how could I support you?" Jiang Yi waved his hand and said seriously, "Brother, you've been here for three years, and I've seen all your achievements. I have a task for you. Are you willing to take it on?"

"Whatever the chief orders, Bai Xiaosheng will not hesitate." Bai Xiaosheng patted his chest.

Jiang Yi slapped the table and said loudly, "Good, truly a loyal and righteous Bai Xiaosheng." After praising him, he said, "Take a look at this letter..."

Bai Xiaosheng took the letter from Jiang Yi, opened it, and read it carefully, gradually frowning. Soon, he finished reading and looked up at Jiang Yi, saying, "Chief, who has the nerve to cause trouble for our Beggar Sect?"

Jiang Yi shook his head and gestured for Bai Xiaosheng to pass the letter to Hong Wu. Hong Wu read the letter, turned red with anger, and slammed the table, saying, "What a bold villain, daring to kill seventeen of our Beggar Sect disciples. Chief, let me and Brother Bai go this time. I will definitely bring this villain to justice."

"Good! With your words, Brother Hong, I am reassured." Jiang Yi smiled and nodded, then gave detailed instructions to the two.

That afternoon, Bai Xiaosheng and Hong Wu packed their things, bid farewell to their brothers, and headed inland.

The Beggar Sect had six major branches, and the branch on the border between Song and Liao was one of them. However, its jurisdiction extended beyond this area into several places within Song territory.

This time, in a town southeast of Yanmen Pass, someone had attacked a Beggar Sect outpost, killing seventeen disciples. Bai Xiaosheng and Hong Wu were sent to investigate. Compared to Hong Wu, Bai Xiaosheng was somewhat worried because the description of the disciples' deaths—necks twisted—reminded him of someone: "Fierce and Ferocious" Nanhai Crocodile God Yue Laosan. If it was him, this would not be an easy task. Fortunately, there was good news: the Four Evils had not yet gathered. Otherwise, Bai Xiaosheng would definitely try to delay the mission; he was not brave enough to provoke the Four Evils.